Statue Meanings
Buddha
Buddha meaning Awakened One or Enlightened One.
Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher from the
Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. The word Buddha is
a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions,
Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha of our age. Gautama Buddha
may also be referred to as Śākyamuni or "Sage of the Śākyas". The Buddha found a
Middle Way that ameliorated the extreme asceticism found in the Sramana
religions.
The time of Buddha's birth and death are uncertain: most early-20th-century
historians dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE, but more recent
opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some,
between 411 and 400 BCE. UNESCO lists Lumbini, Nepal, as a world heritage site
and birthplace of Gautama Buddha. There are also claims about birthplace of
Gautama Buddha to be Kapileswara, Orissa or Kapilavastu at Piprahwa, Uttar
Pradesh. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and
Kośala.
Buddha is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses,
and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his
death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings
attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to
writing about 400 years later.
Ganesh
Ganesh or Ganesha, also spelled Ganesa, is widely revered as the Remover of
Obstacles and more generally as Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles. Ganesh is also considered the patron
of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. He is honored at the
beginning of rituals and ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters during
writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with
his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Ganesha is known by many other attributes, such as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and
Pillaiyar, but his elephant head makes him particularly easy to identify. He is
one of the deities best known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon.
His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him
regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends
to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.
Kwan Yin
Kwan Yin or Guanyin is the bodhisattva associated with compassion as
venerated by Asian Buddhists, usually as a female. The name Guanyin is short for
Guanshiyin, which means Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the World. Some
Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they
are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus then sent to the western pure land
of Sukhāvatī.
It is generally accepted among East Asian adherents that Guanyin originated as
the Sanskrit Avalokiteśvara. Commonly known in English as the Mercy Goddess or
Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin is also revered by Chinese Taoists (sometimes called
Daoists) as an immortal. However, in Taoist mythology, Guanyin has other
origination stories that are not directly related to Avalokiteśvara.
Dewi Sri
Dewi Sri, or Shridevi (Dewi literally means goddess) is the Javanese,
Sundanese, and Balinese pre-Hindu and pre-Islam era goddess of rice and
fertility, still widely worshipped on the islands of Bali and Java. Her
mythology is native to the island of Java, and after the adoption of Hinduism in
Java as early as first century, the goddess is also associated with the Hindu
goddess Lakshmi as both are attributed to wealth and family prosperity.
Dewi Sri is believed to have dominion over the underworld and the moon. Dewi Sri
encompasses the whole spectrum of the Mother Goddess, having dominion over birth
and life. She controls rice, the staple food of Indonesians, hence life and
wealth or prosperity; most especially rice surpluses for the wealth of kingdoms
in Java such as Mataram, Majapahit and Pajajaran - as well their inverse:
poverty, famine, hunger, disease (to a certain extent), and death. She is often
associated with the rice paddy snake (ular sawah).
Tara
Tara is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism who appears as a female
Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the mother of liberation, and
represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. In Japan she is
known as Tarani Bosatsu, and little known as Tuoluo in Chinese Buddhism.
Tara is a tantric meditation deity whose practice is used by practitioners of
the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism to develop certain inner qualities and
understand outer, inner and secret teachings about compassion and emptiness.
Tara is actually the generic name for a set of Buddhas or bodhisattvas of
similar aspect. These may more properly be understood as different aspects of
the same quality, as bodhisattvas are often considered metaphoric for Buddhist
virtues.
The most widely known forms of Tara are:
• Green Tara, known as the Buddha of enlightened activity
• White Tara, also known for compassion, long life, healing and serenity; also
known as The Wish-fulfilling Wheel, or Cintachakra
• Red Tara, of fierce aspect associated with magnetizing all good things
• Black Tara, associated with power
• Yellow Tara, associated with wealth and prosperity
• Blue Tara, associated with transmutation of anger
• Cittamani Tara, a form of Tara widely practiced at the level of Highest Yoga
Tantra in the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, portrayed as green and often
conflated with Green Tara
• Khadiravani Tara (Tara of the acacia forest), who appeared to Nagarjuna in the
Khadiravani forest of South India and who is sometimes referred to as the "22nd
Tara."
In Hinduism, the goddess Tara meaning, star, is the second of the Dasa (ten)
Mahavidyas or Great Wisdom Goddesses, Tantric manifestations of Mahadevi,
Kali, or Parvati. As the star is seen as a beautiful but perpetually
self-combusting thing, so Tara is perceived at core as the absolute,
unquenchable hunger that propels all life.
Foo Dogs
Foo Dogs are the ancient sacred dogs of Asia who guard Buddhist temples. The
association between these dogs and Buddha is one of great significance. Foo Dogs
have the appearance of a lion. The lion in Buddhist religion is seen as sacred,
and has sometimes been offered to Buddha as a sacrifice. The name given to these
guardians originates from China. The Chinese word for Buddha is Fo, which led to
the original title – “Dog of Fo”. There have been other theories that the name
developed from the city of Foochow; however, there is no actual proof of this.
Another name given to the beast is “Lion of Korea”.
Foo Dogs can be traced as early as the Han Dynasty. Their first appearance
was in Chinese art, which dates back to approximately 208 BC to about 221 AD.
Foo Dogs vanished for nearly 400 years after their first appearance. They later
returned in the T’ang Dynasty that was in power from 618 to 917 AD.
Foo Dogs popularity is because of their meaning. The Lion is a creature of
the feline race that is known as the proud master of all cats. Its introduction
into Chinese art coincided with Buddhism. The Foo Dog is the protector of
sacred buildings and a defender of law. The dogs are commonly placed at
business institutions, temple gates, home entrances, and estates. It is also
not uncommon to see these sacred dogs guarding tombs or placed in front of
government buildings to scare evil spirits. Throughout the ages, Foo Dogs were
frequently given as gifts to the Emperor. They would be presented in sculptures
or in the form of artwork.
Foo Dog artwork has varied over time. Buddha was sometimes depicted on the
back of the great beast, but Foo Dogs are more often displayed in a powerful
guarding position. The creature is sometimes presented holding a spear in its
paw. This was the representation of the peace and serenity the animal would
maintain for the sanctuary it was guarding; thus discouraging any wrong doers
and demon spirits from entering the place of tranquility.
The Foo Dog comes in many shapes, sizes, different materials, and colors.
Their faces have a mischievous and almost devilish look about them; and their
eyes are normally wide open with a tiny speck in the middle. This threatening
appearance is what gives the idea that they guard against evil spirits.
It is important to point out that the Foo Dog is also known as the Celestial
Dog, and the Happiness Dog. The animal is a symbol of energy and value, and is
often displayed in a male/female pair. The male plays with a ball that
symbolizes the Earth, while the female holds a cub under her paw.
The Foo Dog symbolism runs deep throughout Eastern history and tradition.
And, they are still very popular today, not only in China, but also in other
parts of the world. They are fantastic dogs not only infused with artwork, but
also with meaning.
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